The Hindu : Allotment of Tiruchi to MDMK leaves Congress surprised

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 04, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi

Allotment of Tiruchi to MDMK leaves Congress surprised

By S. Ganesan

TIRUCHI, FEB. 3 . The allotment of the Tiruchi Lok Sabha seat to the Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (MDMK) has come as a surprise and shock to the constituents of the Democratic Progressive Alliance here, especially the Congress.

Local Congress circles were hopeful of getting the seat, as the DMK had allotted the constituency to its allies in the past few elections. The Congress cadres were entertaining hopes till the last minute, even after the DMK chief, M. Karunanidhi, made the announcement. "We had not lost hope even till Monday when negotiations with the DMK were on to hammer out an agreement on the second batch of three seats to the party," said a senior functionary. "The allocation of the seat to the MDMK has, no doubt, shocked the cadres. But we have to settle for it, in the larger interests of the alliance," he added.

There was no dearth of ticket-seekers in the party. Speculation was rife on the possible candidate with a few names, including those of the former MP, L. Adaikalaraj, the urban district president and a staunch loyalist of E.V.K.S. Elangovan, Jerome Arockiaraj, and the Mayor, Sarubala R.Tondaiman, a supporter of the Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president, G.K. Vasan, doing the rounds. Several other "outsiders" were also said to have been eyeing the constituency.

But given the factionalism in the local unit, a couple of prominent ticket-seekers were even prepared to settle for Pudukottai or Karur, if they failed to get Tiruchi. Their hopes were dashed with the DMK opting to contest from Pudukottai and Karur.

The party men were fancying their chances in Tiruchi, where Mr. Adaikalaraj emerged victorious in the successive elections from 1984 to 1996 (the last on a Tamil Maanila Congress ticket), with the change in political equations. The party lost much ground in the last three elections since 1998, thanks to the enormous goodwill generated by the late Rangarajan Kumaramangalam. In the by-election necessitated by his death, the AIADMK defeated the BJP. Congress circles were confident of wresting the constituency this time around with the support of the AIADMK.

Meanwhile, MDMK circles appeared to be a bit surprised on being allotted the seat, though they insisted that the party had sought it. Some of the party men felt that they would have been in a stronger wicket in Karur. The party was likely to field a senior State-level functionary, sources said.

The DMK too had some aspirants, who view the allotment of the seat to the MDMK as another missed opportunity to prove the party's strength in the constituency.

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